In search of religious freedom a group of devout Christians sailed across the ocean only to come across a new land, radically different from the one they left behind. From the initial journey, to the formation of the colonies, and finally their complicated relationship with “non-believers” Puritans strongly held religious convictions has played a key role in all of this. The Puritans were a group of reformed Protestants seeking to reform the English Church. After the fall of the Roman Catholic Church, a new church was established “The English Anglican Church”. While most Puritans sought to reform the church others wanted nothing to do with it these Puritans would eventually be known as Separatists.
Religion played that of a great role in the colonial regions. This is so, as colonies, mostly in New England, the colonial settlers were actually driven by religious intolerance in England. As stated in “Puritan New England: Kahn Academy”, “During the 1620s and 1630s, the conflict escalated to the point where the state church prohibited Puritan ministers from preaching. In the Church’s view, Puritans represented a national security threat because their demands for cultural, social, and religious reforms undermined the king’s authority. Unwilling to conform to the Church of England, many Puritans found refuge in the New World.”
Life before the infamous Salem Witch Trials was very mundane and normal. The village and society was based and founded on the Puritan religion. The people had a very set lifestyle. They were taught to work and pray. When they weren't working, they were praying.
In the 1630s, The Puritans came to North America in search of religious freedom. They were persecuted back in England. Their only hope was to leave England. Perhaps in America they could establish a colony whose government, society, and church were all based upon the Bible. In the process, they greatly impacted America in government, religion and social mores.
The pursuit of religious freedom is not a contemporary idea. For centuries many have valiantly fought against oppression and persecution in order to worship freely without restraint and judgement. Some of the earliest immigrants who migrated to this country did so with the hopes of being able to worship in a manner than aligned most closely with their religious beliefs. Many of the principles that founded this nation are based on the premise of religious freedom and toleration. Undoubtedly one of the most influential and prominent religious factions to land on these shores in pursuit of this right, were the Puritans.
History tells us that the Puritans were different than the Pilgrims because they wanted to continue to exist with the Church of England but make it better in the New World. (Settling 2014) The Puritans must have felt some type of loyalty to their native religion because they didn’t put their religion totally aside. It is noted that the Puritans did not want the rituals and other beliefs that involved being a member of their native Church of England.
Church Impact Discussion How did Puritan influences and the Great Awakening shape the American church? According to Shelley (2013), “The “new order” for Christianity in the American colonies threw the churches into another arena. By 1646, for example, eighteen languages echoed from the banks of the Hudson River alone. Probably all the Christian groups were unanimous on one thing: each wanted the liberty to proclaim its own view” (p. 358).
The First and Second Great Awakening brought forth religious and social movements that impacted the American culture, appealing to the individual. Occurring in the early 18th century, the First Great Awakening was born within the 13 British Colonies with the Revolutionary War on the horizon. Decades later, the Second Great Awakening flourished under revivals and reforms, impacting the 19th century and years to follow. Despite being born out of different climates, The First and Second Great Awakening was characterized by the rejection of rational thinking for emotional preaching that reached the heart and soul, inspiring change in the negative perception of reason and positive perception of emotion and individualism in religion as well as the
For many years people have been wondering about religion in the US and, what exactly happened back then. Asking questions like, “Who are the Puritans?” People have also wondered about witches and, what people would do to them if they were caught. Well, I have some answers for you. Back in 1630s colonial New England there was a religious group called the Puritans, a Christian group that was known to be very religiously strict.
America today has a broad diversity of cultures amongst its civilization that includes the secular culture, Christian culture, and other religious cultures. In my opinion, I don’t see America today ever actually settling but continuing to have many different cultures and religious aspects especially as the country loses more of its Christian values. In addition, there must be a restoration of the Christian culture that was witnessed in the Great Awakenings. With that said, this does not necessarily mean that the country must become an all Christian society but that the Christian values must represent most of what we do and think as individuals. “It is rooted in what people think and what they think will determine how they act” (Schaeffer, n.d.).
In the 1730s, a religious revival swept through the British American colonies. The Great Awakening sported two notable factions the New and Old Lights who both respectively supported and opposed the revival. The of the two factions the old lights took their views of god and being saved form old teachings, while the new lights in the reverse teachings. George Whitefield was a minister from Britain that toured the American colonies during this time. The colonists flocked in mass to hear him speak whether they were against or for his views.
The colonial times were very different but also somewhat similar, we know this through old articles of American literature. I will be analyzing and going through some of those and also talking about some key things during that time and also important people that shaped America with their writing and ideas. One of my favorite or more memorable authors was Benjamin Franklin, his ideas were so ahead of his time but it all seemed impossible to them and was something more than a thousand years away. Benjamin Franklin had said “that the soul is immortal”, This line really was a deep thought if you think about it in his time and through a religious view because our souls are the roots of who we are and people always remember you for the way you think or acted and because of your soul.
More than 80% of Americans have Puritan ancestors who emigrated to Colonial America on the Mayflower, and other ships, in the 1630’s (“Puritanism”). Puritanism had an early start due to strong main beliefs that, when challenged, caused major conflict like the Salem Witch Trials. Puritanism had an extremely rocky beginning, starting with a separation from the Roman Catholic Church. Starting in 1606, a group of villagers in Scrooby, England left the church of England and formed a congregation called the Separatist Church, and the members were called The puritans (“Pilgrims”).
What do you think about driverless cars? Driverless cars will influence our culture in a lot of ways. Driverless cars will impact society because the technology used in those car creates serious safety problems, people’s emotional feelings toward cars will change, and the car’s technology will slowly take over more of the driving. To begin with driverless cars will impact society because the technology used in those cars create serious safety problems. This issue is discussed in the article, PRO/CON:
“The U.S. jewelry market earned $57.965 billion in annual revenue last year”(McCain 1). To some people this might seem like a crazy amount of wasted money. Not for Mathilde though. In the short story, The Necklace, Mathilde, a poor girl, longs for having a rich life filled with fancy food, clothes, and jewelry. When Mathilde has the chance to go to a fancy dance, she would love to go, but is missing one thing, a fancy necklace.
